Bluefish watch: With staff battling injuries, Ahearne pitches in

Updated 12:53 am, Wednesday, June 19, 2013

EMERGENCY START: The Bluefish have generally been fortunate in recent years when it has come to the relative health of their pitching staff. That has not been the case this season. The overall state of the staff reached the extreme during a doubleheader at Somerset Saturday when 43-year-old pitching coach Pat Ahearne was forced to start Game 2. It was the first time he had appeared in a game since last October in the Czech Republic, and it was his first appearance in the United States since working four innings as a member of the Bluefish in 2007.

"We needed a starter,'' Bluefish manager Willie Upshaw said. "We couldn't start anybody out of the bullpen and we didn't have any extra guys. We couldn't move a starter into that role on three days' rest.''

Ahearne, who threw a sinker, change-up and curveball, allowed two runs on four hits and struck out two in 3 1/3 innings in a no-decision in a 3-2 loss to the Patriots. He did not walk a batter, throwing 48 pitches (32 strikes).

"It was fun, like normal I guess,'' Ahearne said. "A win would've been better. I was just basically going out there to give the team a lift and do all that sort of thing because I'm here to be the pitching coach and help the guys with whatever I can. It was kind of out of necessity, so let's go for it.''

Entering Tuesday's scheduled game against the Sugar Land Skeeters at Harbor Yard, the Bluefish were ranked seventh in the eight-team Atlantic League in ERA (5.03) and walks (208) and last in opponents' batting average (.283).

They were dealing with injuries to right-handers Travis Minix (oblique), who was expected to return Tuesday; Adam Carr (elbow); Matt Sommo (elbow); and Hayden Penn (elbow), who is day-to-day, depending on how he feels.

The Bluefish also continue to compete without the services of a long reliever, which forced right-hander Kanekoa Texeira to throw in a season-high four straight games June 14 through Monday.

"The broken part ... a lot of it is just health so it's definitely fixable when guys get healthy,'' Ahearne said. '

POSTPONED: Tuesday night's game versus Sugar Land was postponed due to inclement weather. Ticket holders for Tuesday's game can exchange their tickets at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard Box Office for a ticket of equal or lesser value to any one of the remaining Bluefish regular season home games, based on availability. Tuesday's game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tonight with each game slated for seven innings. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.